Floor or like tile



March 26, 1963 M. NUSBAUM 3,082,488

FLOOR OR LIKE TILE Filed May 16, 1957' 3 sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

( N N N Mortimer Nusboum w w Q BY mm 6&4,

United states This invention relates to tiles, and in particular relatesto floor tiles.

Heretofore floor tiles, for example, have been provided in squares ofthin material, usually of rubber, asphalt, vinyl plastic, or the like.Considerable skill was, however, required to apply such tiles to floors,usually by means of tacky adhesive. Rough floor surfaces and thedifficulty of applying a uniform thickness of the adhesive materialsfrequently resulted in the finished floor having unsightly wavysurfaces, exposed edges, and misaligned corners, whether the tiles werelaid by skilled or unskilled persons. In some instances, tiles made ofcertain materials could not be satisfactorily adhered to concretebasement floors, and it was impractical to nail or tack tiles of anykind to such concrete floors.

It is a primary object of the present invention to pro vide interlockingfloor tiles adapted to be installed on any kind of floor surface byrelatively unskilled persons on a do-it-yourself basis, without use ofadhesives or other means for attaching the same to the floor.

Another object of the invention is to provide interlocking tiles of thecharacter described, which may be fitted together on a floor inedge-to-edge relationship with no portions of the interlocking edgeportions of the tiles unsupported to become damaged, as by shoe heelimpressions or by furniture supports.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved tile units of thecharacter described, which when interlocked will have the cornersretained in accurately aligned relationship by the interlocking means.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved tiles of thecharacter described which are of polygonal shape, such as square,including interlocking means which permits complemental interlocking ofthe side of any given tile with any side of any like tile, whereby thetiles are easy to install to have a wide range of patterns or ornamentaldesign arrangements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tile having an improvedtongue and groove interlocking means by which a given tile, of squareshape for example, may be easily interlocked with angularly disposedsides of two like tiles previously laid on a floor.

Still another object of the invention is to provide interlocking tilesof the character described, by which tile units of relatively large sizemay be easily interlocked with corresponding interlocking means of liketiles of the same or smaller size.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following briefdescription and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a self-locking tile embodying thefeatures of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an edge view of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an exploded edge view, corresponding to FIGURE 2,illustrating a laminated structure thereof.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top plan view on a reduced scale, illustratinga plurality of tiles as shown in FIGURE 1, in interlocked position on afloor.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section taken substantially onthe line 55 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a similar enlarged cross-section taken substantially on theline 6-6 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is a further enlarged fragmentary crossinc section,corresponding to FIGURE 5, and illustrating a modified form of theinvention.

FIGURE 8 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 4, illustrating anothermodification of the invention.

FIGURE 9 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 1 and illustrating a furthermodification of the invention.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary perspective view, illustrating a modificationsuggested by FIGURES 41 to 8.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is illustrated a tileunit 10 comprising a relatively thin plate of generally square shape,providing four straight side edges of equal length. It is understoodthat the plate may be of other polygonal shapes, but the square plate isshown because it is the most commonly used shape for tile flooring. Theplate 10 may be molded of solid material such as rubber, vinyl plastic,asphalt, wood, or other suitable material, having a top facing of goodwearing quality. FIGURES 2 and 3, however, indicate the plate 10 asbeing of laminated structure including upper, bottom and intermediatelayers 13, 14 and 15, respectively, cemented or otherwise bondedtogether, as shown in FIGURE 2. The upper layer 13 may be of suitablecolorful, ornamental, and long-wearing material such as rubber or vinylplastic, and may be of square shape defined by straight side edges 11.The bottom layer may be of relatively hard material, such as Wood fiberin some instances, or a cushioning material, such as foam rubber, wheredesirable or necessary. The intermediate layer 15 immediately below toplayer 13, may be of inexpensive material which is relatively rigid forpurposes to be described. Bottom layer 14 is the same size and shape asthe upper layer 13. The rigid nature of layer 15 reinforces the plate10.

Formed along each edge 11 of plate Ill may be a tongue and a groove 16and 16a, respectively, of identical though oppositely disposed generallytapered shape, adapted to be complementally interlocked with likeoppositely disposed tongues and grooves or recesses with a similar plate10. When the plate 10 is of laminated structure; these tongues andgrooves may be formed as by known stamping methods, in the intermediatelayer 15, in which case the laminations would be bonded together asshown in FIGURES 1 and 2 by use of suitable jigs, fixtures or othermeans (not shown). The taper of each tongue is defined 'by a laterallyoutwardly presented straight edge 17, tapering from an angularlydisposed edge 18 to a point 19 coincident with the corner formed by twoadjacent side edges 11. The "inner edge 18 of the tongue may extend at asubstantially abrupt angle to the edge 11, an angle of 4 5 being shown,and thereby forming an obtuse angle with the longer edge 17. Forpurposes which will be understood later, corresponding tapered edges 17of all of said tongues 16 extend in the same direction peripherally ofthe plate 19, and the grooves or recesses 16a are each oppositelycomplementally shaped to receive tongues 16 of a similar plate 16,Without substantial clearance between the edges 17 and 18 of the tonguesand corresponding inner angularly disposed faces 20* and 21 of thegrooves, so that the long tapers of the grooves also all extend in thesame direction peripherally of the plate 10, but opposite to that of thetapered tongues. The shorter edge portion of each groove is aligned withthe shorter edge portion 18 of the nearest adjacent tongue 16 on thesame side edge of the plate. In other words, the side edges of the plateare of predetermined lengths and the lengths of the tongues and grooves,as shown, are each of a unit length which is one of equal increments ofsaid predetermined unit lengths of the side edges of the plate, saidincrement in this instance being onehalf the unit length of each saidedge of the plate, and in each instance adjacent apices of the narrowends of next adjacent tongues and grooves coincide at each corner 19 ofthe plate defined by adjacent cornen oneness ing side edges 11 thereof.'Thus, as the lengths of the tongues and grooves are equal, and areequal to one-half the unit length of the corresponding side edge of theplate, each said side edge 11 is adapted to be selectivelycomplementally interlocked with any side edge of any similar plate 19,or a portion thereof (one-half in this instance). This feature has adistinct advantage in arranging a plurality of plates 18 with sunfacepatterns, grains, or configurations in a variety of composite designs.

Use of the improved tile of FIGURES l, 2 and 3 is best shown in FIGURES4, 5 and 6, wherein FIGURE 4 illustrates a plurality of tiles being laidon a floor F, without adhesives or other means of attachment thereto.Assuming that rows A and B of tiles it} have been laid on floor F inaccordance with the usual practice of startinga row A at the center of aroom and Working toward a side thereof, each tile 10 is interlockedintongue-in-groove relationship, as indicated by the zigzag dotted linesalong the plate edges 11, in FIGURE 4, and as clearly shown in FIGURES 5and 6. In row C, for example, the tiles iii are laid from left to rightagainst like tiles of row B, previously laid in the same manner'againsttiles of row A. That is, one tile 1% is shown being inserted cornerwise,as indicated by -chaindotted and full line positions at the lowerleft-hand side of FIGURE .4, toward a position of interlockingtongue-in-groove engagement with right-angularly disposed sides 11 oftwo adjacent tiles 10, a shown at the right of row B. This cornerwiseinsertion of the tile is greatly facilitated by the fact that edge 18 ofeach tongue 16 converges with respect to the inner surface 21 of thegroove 16a of the next adjacent side edge at the respective corner 19.Because each tile 10 may have any side thereof interlocked, asdescribed, With any side of any other similar'tile, it is a simplematter to arrange groups of tiles with desired matching surface designs,or with the grain or patterns thereof in pleasing relationship.Moreover, the angular relationship of the edges 17 and 18 of eachtongue, in interlocked relation to the corresponding surface portions 29and 21, respectively, is efiective to locate the corners 19 of each tileexactly coincident with corners 19 of adjacent tiles mated therewith,and is further effective to retain matched tiles against relativemovement longitudinally of the parallel matching edges 11 of the same.

Referring to FIGURES 5 and 6, the bottom square layer 14 of each plate10 may be slightly smaller than top square 12, substantially as shown inFIGURE 7, to assure perfect contact of the matching or mating edges 11,as described, and/ or perfect interlocking engagement of the matingtongues and grooves.

Referring now to FIGURE 7, there is shown an enlarged cross-sectioncorresponding to FIGURE 5, illustrating tongue-in-groove engagement oftwo tiles 23, 23 of modified form. Each tile 23 'may com-prise a plate24 of molded rubber, vinyl plastic, or the like, and a top layer 25 ofcarpeting suitably bonded thereto. The carpeting may be of known typewherein tufted wool, or other stranded fiber 26 is anchored or bonded ina cushioning layer 27 of soft resilient material, such as foam rubber.The layer 25 may also be of a thin veneer of tough but attractiverubber, vinyl plastic, or the like, but in any event the separate layer25 makes possible the use of a relatively inexpensive base plate 2 5.

FIGURE 8 illustrates use of a modified form of tile 29 with a pluralityof smaller tiles 3%, 3t? laid on a floor F as described in connectionwith FIGURE 4. The tile 29 may be of relatively large size, such aseighteen inches square, for use with like tiles 30 of proportionatelysmaller size, such as nineinches square, for reasons to be described.

r The large tile 29 may be made as shown in FIGURE 7 but with matchedsmaller segments 31, 31, say nine sixinch squares, of attractivematerial such as rubber or vinyl plastic, bonded to a larger square baseplate 32. In place of the nine segments 31 a single eighteen-inch squareof carpet material, such as the layer 25 of FIGURE 7, may besubstituted. 7

FIGURE 8 shows the base 32 provided with two spaced tapered tongues 34and two spaced complementally shaped grooves 35, formed in each straightside edge 36, 36 thereof. As before, each tongue and each groove is ofunit length which is one of equal increments of a unit length of eachside, which in this case is one-fourth the length of each side edge. Asbefore, also, each tongue 34 is longitudinally tapered, as defined by arelatively long edge 36 at an acute angle to the respective side edge 35of the plate or base 32 and a relatively shorter edge 37, at a moreabrupt acute angle to edge 37, the edges 36 and 37 being atan obtuseangle to each other. The tongues and grooves extend around the baseplate in alternation, and, as in the case of the FIGURE 1 structure,corresponding edges of the tongues taper toward the respective sideedges in the same direction peripherally of the base plate.

The smaller tiles 30 have tongues and grooves 34 and 36, respectively,of the same proportions and sizes as for the larger tile, and in eithersize of tile each corner has coincident therewith the terminal point ofthe wide end of tongues and grooves of adjacent side edges forming therespective said corner. Thus any tile 29 may be inserted cornerwise, asshown in FIGURE 8, toward interlocking tongue-in-groove engagement oftwo adjacent side edges thereof with correspondingly disposed edgesformed by two pairs of adjacent smaller tiles 30. Obviously, the largetile 32 may be similarly assembled on a floor F with like tiles of thesame size. Cornerwise assembly of the tiles, in the manner shown inFIGURE 8, is facilitated by an outwardly converging relationship of aside 36 of a tongue 34 and a complemental surface portion of a groove35, at each corner of the tile 29, or 30, as the case may be.

FIGURE 9 illustrates a tile 40 which is like the tile shown in FIGURES lto 6, except that each side edge 41 has four triangular-shaped tongues42 and four complementally shaped grooves 43, each of unit length whichis one of equal increments of the unit length of each side edge 41. Thisstructure functions precisely as previously described, except that thetiles of one row may be variously offset with respect to those of anadjacent row of tiles, to produce a greater variety of designarrangements.

FIGURE 10 illustrates a modification of the invention suggested byFIGURES 1 to 8 of the drawings, and wherein layers 13 and 14 have thetongue and groove shape and arrangement of FIGURE 8, and a carpet layer26 of FIGURE 7 is applied to layer 13.

Thus has been provided improved tile structures adapted to be quicklyand accurately applied on a floor surface by relatively unskilledpersons. The various forms of the invention are particularly desirableto satisfy an apparent demand for tiles which may be applied on ado-it-yourself basis, without the usual clutter and messiness incidentto assembly of tiles requiring use of adhesives, for example.

In each form of the invention the tongue-in-groove relationship of tilesassembled on a fioor locks the individual tile against relative movementin various directions laterally of the floor surface, and also lockseach tile against upward movement with respect to an adjacent matingtile, thereby obviating diificulty of persons tripping over exposededges of tiles. Moreover, the tongues fully complementally engage incorresponding grooves, with no unsupported portions from corner'tocorner of the mating tiles, which is important also in eliminating anypossibility of grime or dirt getting under the tiles from between matingedges thereof.

In actual use of the invention, where the tongue and groove arrangementof FIGURE 9, for example, is combined with the laminated structures ofFIGURES 1 to 3, and when the tongues and grooves 42 and 43,respectively, are defined portions in a backing layer 32 of relativelyrigid material corresponding to layer 15 of FIGURES 2 and 3, thecushioning bottom layer 14 may be omitted. In such instances, when thetiles 31 are laid on a floor,

aoeaass each tile is firmly locked against the floor by the tongue 42thereof being received in the grooves of the next adjacent or matchingtile, and it is impossible to lift or otherwise remove any tile out ofits locked position, except piece-by-piece in a manner converse to thatin which the tiles are installed as previously described. That is, if itis desired to remove a particular tile, spaced at a distance from agiven edge of the installed flooring, it is necessary to remove tiles,starting at that edge, and continue removing them until said particulartile is reached. Such removal of the tile, however, is accomplished inthe same easy manner in which they are installed as described above inconnection with FIGURES 4 and 8.

The relatively rigid layer 15, in fact, serves to retain the unitarytiles firmly interlocked, in edge-to-edge relationship, regardless ofexpansion and contraction of plastic, tufted carpet, or other relativelymore elastic layers supported or reinforced by the relatively rigidlayer.

In further amplification of the description, it should be noted that inall forms of the invention shown and described there are the same numberof tongues as re cesses on each respective side edge of the tiles. Also,in each form shown, each corner of the tiles has edge portions of anadjacent tongue and a recess converging to the respective corner, fromopposite sides of the side edge of the tile from which the respectivecorner tongue extends.

With particular reference to FIGURES 5, 6, 8 and 9, the adjacent edgeportions of adjacent tongues and recesses, 34 and 35, respectively, ofany corner of the tile are convergent to such corner, from oppositesides of the side edge 29 or 41 of the tile from which the respectivecorner tongue extends, and the angle between such side edge and theadjacent short edge portion of the respective recess includes an area tothe corresponding corner having the full thickness of the tile, whetheror not the cushioning layer 14 or" FIGURES 5 and 6 is omitted. In thisstructure, moreover, the close proximity of the apices of the outer sideportions of corner tongues 34 (FIGURE 8), and of the corresponding Wideportions of the corner recesses 35, to the respective corners, providerequisite optimum interlocking engagement at the corners of like tilesassembled in mating cornering relationship as shown in part in FIGURE 8.

Other modifications of the invention may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

l. A floor or like tile comprising a relatively thin, unitary platehaving an upper portion of rectangular shape defined by straight sideedges; a lower portion of said plate below said rectangular portionbeing formed with reference to said side edges to provide alternatetongues and recesses extending outwardly and inwardly, respectively, ofsaid side edges, peripherally around the plate; each said side edge ofthe plate having a plurality of tongues and a plurality of recesses andhaving the same number of tongues as recesses; said tongues beingsubstantially uniformly thin and each tongue being defined by angularlyopposed edge portions tapering substantially in divergent straight linesfrom an apex thereof, and each line being disposed at an acute angle tothe respective side edge of the plate and the recesess beingcorrespondingly defined; one of said opposed edge portions of eachtongue and recess being longer than the other, the longer and shorteredge portions of each recess being aligned continuations of the longerand shorter edge portions of the tongues, respectively; the longer edgeportions of the tongues of the respective said side edges being taperedfrom the apices of the tongues in the same general directionperipherally around the plate; the lengths of said tongues and recessesalong said side edges being equal and each being one of equal incrementsof predetermined lengths of the side edges; the short edge portions of atongue and a recess terminating at each corner apex of said plate andhaving adjacent edge portions thereof convergent to and intersecting atthe respective corner apex from opposite directions inwardly andoutwardly of the edges of the plate; said plate thereby being adapted tohave the tongues and recesses thereof snugly complementally interlockedwith corresponding tongues and recesses of like plates when laidflatwise on a supporting surface to have the straight side edges ofplates in edgewise mating relationship; the alternate arrangement of thetongues and recesses around said plate being such that each corner ofsaid plate will have the apex of a tongue and a recess closely adjacentthe respective corner apex to provide optimum interlocking engagement ofthe corner of the plate with a like plate in said edgewise matingrelationship.

2. A floor or like tile as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least saidlower portion of the plate is of substantially rigid material, and saidtongues being rigid extensions of said lower portion.

3. A floor or like tile as set forth in claim 2, wherein said upperportion of said plate is of square shape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.16,867 Healy Feb. 7, 1928 220,893 Westcott Oct. 21, 1879 599,117 Broomeet al. Feb. 15, 1898 957,189 Chappell May 10, 1910 1,420,810 Bean June27, 1922 1,895,801 Keller Jan. 31, 1933 1,910,810 Nash May 23, 19332,099,149 Turnquist Nov. 16, 1937 2,175,698 Netz Oct. 10, 1939 2,187,672Wedberg Jan. 16, 1940 2,189,218 Neumeister Feb. 6, 1940 2,760,895Holgerson Aug. 28, 1956 2,807,057 Mondry Sept. 24, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS491,383 Italy Mar. 4, 1954

1. A FLOOR OR LIKE TILE COMPRISING A RELATIVELY THIN, UNITARY PLATEHAVING AN UPPER PORTION OF RECTANGULAR SHAPE DEFINED BY STRAIGHT SIDEEDGES; A LOWER PORTION OF SAID PLATE BELOW SAID RECTANGULAR PORTIONBEING FORMED WITH REFERENCE TO SAID SIDE EDGES TO PROVIDE ALTERNATETONGUES AND RECESSES EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND INWARDLY, RESPECTIVELY, OFSAID SIDE EDGES, PERIPHERALLY AROUND THE PLATE; EACH SAID SIDE EDGE OFTHE PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF TONGUES AND A PLURALITY OF RECESSES ANDHAVING THE SAME NUMBER OF TONGUES AS RECESSES; SAID TONGUES BEINGSUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY THIN AND EACH TONGUE BEING DEFINED BY ANGULARLYOPPOSED EDGE PORTIONS TAPERING SUBSTANTIALLY IN DIVERGENT STRAIGHT LINESFROM AN APEX THEREOF, AND EACH LINE BEING DISPOSED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TOTHE RESPECTIVE SIDE EDGE OF THE PLATE AND THE RECESSES BEINGCORRESPONDINGLY DEFINED; ONE OF SAID OPPOSED EDGE PORTIONS OF EACHTONGUE AND RECESS BEING LONGER THAN THE OTHER, THE LONGER AND SHORTEREDGE PORTIONS OF EACH RECESS BEING ALIGNED CONTINUATIONS OF THE LONGERAND SHORTER EDGE PORTIONS OF THE TONGUES, RESPECTIVELY; THE LONGER EDGEPORTIONS OF THE TONGUES OF THE RESPECTIVE SAID SIDE EDGES BEING TAPEREDFROM THE APICES OF THE TONGUES IN THE SAME GENERAL DIRECTIONPERIPHERALLY AROUND THE PLATE; THE LENGTHS OF SAID TONGUES AND RECESSESALONG SAID SIDE EDGES BEING EQUAL AND EACH BEING ONE OF EQUAL INCREMENTSOF PREDETERMINED LENGTHS OF THE SIDE EDGES; THE SHORT EDGE PORTIONS OF ATONGUE AND A RECESS TERMINATING AT EACH CORNER APEX OF SAID PLATE ANDHAVING ADJACENT EDGE PORTIONS THEREOF CONVERGENT TO AND INTERSECTING ATTHE RESPECTIVE CORNER APEX FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS INWARDLY ANDOUTWARDLY OF THE EDGES OF THE PLATE; SAID PLATE THEREBY BEING ADAPTED TOHAVE THE TONGUES AND RECESSES THEREOF SNUGLY COMPLEMENTALLY INTERLOCKEDWITH CORRESPONDING TONGUES AND RECESSES OF LIKE PLATES WHEN LAIDFLATWISE ON A SUPPORTING SURFACE TO HAVE THE STRAIGHT SIDE EDGES OFPLATES IN EDGEWISE MATING RELATIONSHIP; THE ALTERNATE ARRANGEMENT OF THETONGUES AND RECESSES AROUND SAID PLATE BEING SUCH THAT EACH CORNER OFSAID PLATE WILL HAVE THE APEX OF A TONGUE AND A RECESS CLOSELY ADJACENTTHE RESPECTIVE CORNER APEX TO PROVIDE OPTIMUM INTERLOCKING ENGAGEMENT OFTHE CORNER OF THE PLATE WITH A LIKE PLATE IN SAID EDGEWISE MATINGRELATIONSHIP.